Ian Bishop Questions Roston Chase's Performance as West Indies Captain

Concerns Over Roston Chase's Form

In St John’s, Antigua, former West Indies cricketer and commentator Ian Bishop has expressed his concerns regarding the performance of Test captain Roston Chase, both with bat and ball. Bishop is puzzled by Chase's significant decline in form after a promising start to his red-ball career, suggesting that the West Indies have a window of 'five or six months' to assess his position as a batsman.

Chase has had a disappointing year, finishing with just 221 runs in eight Tests and 16 innings, resulting in a low average of 13.81, without any half-centuries to his name. His highest score was merely 44, making it one of the worst years for a Test captain in terms of batting, second only to Bangladesh's Khaled Mahmud, who averaged 11.82 in 2003.

During his initial 32 Tests from 2016 to 2019, Chase, an all-rounder, accumulated 1,695 runs in 58 innings at an average of 31.38, including five centuries and seven fifties. However, since 2020, his performance has drastically declined, with only 791 runs in 25 Tests and an average plummeting to 16.47, along with just four fifties in 48 innings.

At 33 years old, Chase's bowling has also suffered, taking only nine wickets in eight Tests this year at an average of 70.66, with his best figures being 2/36, which are more reflective of a batsman developing his bowling skills rather than a seasoned all-rounder.

In an interview with iSports i95.5 FM, Bishop remarked, 'Roston has openly acknowledged his struggles with the bat, and it perplexes me that a player who scored five Test match hundreds in his first 20 matches has found himself in this predicament at 33, unable to produce even decent innings.'

'The West Indies are fortunate to have five or six months before their next Test series to evaluate whether Roston can maintain his place in the team,' he added.

Bishop highlighted that Chase's bowling average in the 70s has not aided his cause, and his leadership skills appear to be lacking, casting doubt on his future.

'His bowling hasn't performed as expected, and he hasn't shown the strategic sharpness in captaincy that I hoped for. However, they have time to decide on his future,' he noted.

Bishop believes the issues extend beyond captaincy, emphasizing the need for developing young batters in the Caribbean. 'It's crucial to nurture players like Alick Athanaze and others to reach their potential; otherwise, we will continue to seek new leadership and coaches without seeing the desired results,' he stated.

The West Indies' struggles in Test cricket have not helped Chase's case, as he lacks a strong win-loss record to justify his position. This year, the team has played 10 Tests, winning only one against Pakistan, losing eight, and drawing one. They currently sit at the bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings, with no wins in eight matches played, losing seven and drawing one. Despite showing some resilience, such as overcoming a 270-run deficit against India and nearly chasing down 531 runs against New Zealand, the team has largely appeared weak.